1900 Rare Book - Popular Fairy Tales for Children by Hans Christian Andersen
A beautifully preserved illustrated edition of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tales, distinguished by its elegant cream cloth binding decorated with stylized green and golden-yellow rosebuds, and charming Victorian wood-engraved illustrations throughout.
Author: Hans Christian Andersen.
Title: Popular Tales for Children (Andersen’s Popular Tales).
Publisher: London: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited; New York and Melbourne. Undated, circa 1900.
Edition: Illustrated edition; printing not stated.
Language: English.
Pages: 252 pages.
Size: 7.5 x 5 inches.
Binding: Very good publisher’s original cream cloth, with an attractive Art Nouveau-style floral design in green and golden yellow across the front board and spine, and gilt lettering. The rear board is plain. Minor age-related handling wear and light soiling, with the decorative binding remaining exceptionally appealing. Original green illustrated endpapers featuring a complementary rosebud pattern. Protected in a removable mylar cover.
Content: Good to very good, complete. Foxing is most noticeable on the title page, preliminary leaves, and final pages, with additional spotting and discoloration along the outer edges of the text block, as shown. The majority of the interior pages remain comparatively clean, with occasional light spotting and age-related toning. The text and illustrations are well preserved.
Illustrations: Numerous black-and-white wood-engraved illustrations throughout, including a full-page frontispiece depicting a child in a boat drawn by six swans, together with charming illustrations accompanying the individual tales. Decorative initials and ornamental headings.
Estimate: USD $135–150.
The book: This delightful edition of Popular Tales for Children brings together a generous selection of Hans Christian Andersen’s most enduring fairy tales in a particularly attractive decorative binding. Among the stories are The Fir Tree, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Nightingale, The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, The Tinder Box, and The Swineherd, alongside lesser-known treasures such as The Elf of the Roses, The Elfin Hill, The Loveliest Rose in the World, and The Swan’s Nest. Together, they reveal the remarkable range of Andersen’s imagination, from gentle humour and enchantment to melancholy, longing, sacrifice, and moral reflection.
Beyond its literary appeal, the volume is distinguished by its wonderfully harmonious decorative presentation. The cream cloth covers are adorned with symmetrical rosebud motifs in green and golden yellow, while the matching green endpapers repeat the floral design in delicate white outlines. The numerous wood-engraved illustrations bring Andersen’s imaginative world to life through scenes of enchanted forests, birds, children, and fantastical adventures. The combination of an appealing period binding, decorative endpapers, and richly illustrated text makes this an especially charming addition to a collection of classic fairy tales and illustrated children’s literature.
The author: Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish author whose fairy tales became some of the most widely read and translated works of nineteenth-century literature. Born in Odense, Denmark, Andersen rose from modest circumstances to international literary fame, developing a distinctive storytelling voice that combined folklore, fantasy, emotional sensitivity, and profound observations of human nature. His stories frequently explore the experiences of outsiders, the tension between appearance and reality, and the transformative power of kindness, imagination, and love.
Unlike traditional folk tales passed down through generations, many of Andersen’s stories were original literary creations. Works such as The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, The Snow Queen, and The Emperor’s New Clothes helped establish the literary fairy tale as an art form capable of speaking to adults as well as children. His influence extended far beyond Denmark, inspiring generations of illustrators, writers, and artists, and ensuring his place among the most beloved storytellers in world literature.